Moonlit Madness
by wildwordwomyn
Summary: The man stands alone...


Title: Moonlit Madness

Author: wildwordwomyn

Word Count: 890

Fandom: Flashpoint slash

Pairing: Greg Parker/Ed Lane, Sophie Lane, brief mention of Ed's son and unborn daughter

Rating: light R for angst with some smex thrown in

Author's Notes: I slashed. Oops!

Disclaimers/Warnings: No own. No harm intended. Big spoilers for "I'd Do Anything".

Summary: The man stands alone...

The man stands alone in front of a window, staring out into the night as if it holds all the answers. It doesn't, but his eyes stay trained on the darkness anyway.

Greg watches Ed silently, wondering what is supposed to happen now. He has just slept with the man, who happens to be not only married, but straight and his best friend. And yet he feels no regret. All he wants, no, needs is to make it better. Take Ed's pain away. Because the person he knows should be loose right now. Instead he's quiet. Too quiet. He looks lonely and afraid, and Greg is pretty sure the person he's thinking of is not him.

"God, you're beautiful," he says, can't help saying to himself low under his breath so he won't be heard. It's true, although he wouldn't appreciate the compliment. This Ed is exposed, defined. All angles and hard lines even at his age. The scars on his body give him an air of danger, of roughness, that somehow turns Greg on in a way he never would've expected. Of course, it explains a lot as to how they ended up here. "Come on, Eddie. Come to bed." It also explains the tenderness in his voice as he tries to bring him back from wherever he is. Eventually all predators become prey, Greg thinks. It's the natural order of life. He knows that as well as anyone. It doesn't mean he has to like it.

Ed continues to lean his left forearm against the window frame without responding. He isn't sure if the younger man's chasing ghosts or being chased by them. It doesn't matter. Either way Ed's got a price on his head. Greg takes a breath, standing up slowly so he won't spook him. He steps as lightly as possible over to the window, coming to a halt a foot behind him. When Ed still doesn't acknowledge him he moves closer, placing a warm palm against his stomach. Greg notes the flinch but doesn't call him on it. It does make him wonder. When did Ed become scared of him?

"You need to sleep," he tells him in his ear. "Eddie..." His palm slides upward to rest against Ed's heart, pressing him back into his body, holding him there.

Ed fights not to break free of the hold. He can tell by the tension in his muscles that he wants to. The one thing keeping him there is Greg. He isn't quite sure what to make of that. "It's already after 2," Greg looks over at his alarm clock to confirm, aware that Ed's eyes have yet to turn from the night sky, "and I doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway."

None of this is awkward, or strange. Shouldn't it be? Greg thinks so, but this makes more sense than anything else in his life so far. Him holding Ed in such an intimate manner as if he has the right to, as if he's been doing it for years. He wishes he could hate Sophie for making his partner need him enough to climb into his bed completely sober, but he feels grateful to her instead. If she hadn't left, hadn't asked Ed to leave, the man wouldn't have stayed. Not that he's here to spite his wife. Ed's connection to Greg is on a level all its own.

"I can't...Greg, I can't choose."

"I know," he replies.

"If I quit the S.R.U. I can't come back." He could. He just wouldn't. Greg gets that. He'd be the same way if it was him. "But Sophie...and Clark and the baby..."

"I'm sorry, Eddie." He's clueless about what else to say. If this were a call he'd be able to come up with a plan on the spot. It'd be easy for him and he'd know exactly how to find a solution, whether it was a permanent one or not. He'd know. This? This is hitting too close to home, and he finds himself wanting what he has at the moment too much to willingly let it go.

"...Either way I lose..." No confession, no exaggeration. Ed is simply stating a fact.

"Yes." There's no point in lying. Especially when he's so bad at lying to Ed. "But you'll never lose me."

"Greg, you're part of this. Don't you see that?" Ed breathes, unable to speak the words in a normal voice.

And he does now. Because it's obvious in a way it wasn't before tonight. He's a part of everything for Ed, like Ed's a part of everything for him. He's never questioned why. It just is.

"Yes," Greg repeats, his voice lowered to match Ed's.

Ed turns in his arms, holding onto him so tightly Greg's back cracks to release the tension. As it does Ed's face surges forward, capturing Greg's mouth in a kiss he can only describe as hungry. He doesn't know how stop, how to push Ed away. Instead he hangs on for dear life. He just keeps his eyes closed, inhaling Ed's scent as his tongue slips into Ed's mouth, deliberately relaxing against his partner's body. When Ed pulls back to catch his breath Greg follows reflexively. It's all he can do anymore.

The End


End file.
